Tuesday, July 26, 2011

I'm on a roll! Blogs to Feb

February blog postings have also been posted! This time, I even managed to get a couple of videos included. Pretty cool, huh?

Reflecting back on February, the crazy snow week definitely stands out. I managed to stay at home with the kids for seven days straight without leaving the house, a feat previously incomprehensible, but actually not that bad in actuality. We did lots of the usual (arts and crafts, playrooms, baking) plus some extra to fill in the gaps (bounce houses, blanket forts, and snowball fights!).

A huge event was Claire turning three. She has grown up so much over the last year, and it's hard to face the fact that she's not my little baby anymore. She's talking in full sentences (paragraphs sometimes!), making tons of decisions on her own from what to wear and what she wants to eat, and teaching her baby brother everything she knows. At the same time, I feel like I am probably tougher on her because I think of her as so much older than Gavin ... and then I realize she's only three!

I can't wait to get the blogs up to date to July so that you can see what the kids have been up to the last four months since these Feb postings -- karate, dance recitals, swimming, family trips, and more!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

January Blog Postings DONE

FINALLY posted the January blog updates for the kids. I know, I know, it's now July, but what spare time I have doesn't seem to be devoted to sitting in front of a computer for recreational purposes.

That being said, I honestly love going through the pictures of the month and picking out a handful that I think others would like to see. Picking out the pictures themselves is an art. It's a blend of what's good photographically-speaking (composition, lighting, all that jazz), what does the best in capturing all the events of the past month, and what I think others would actualy be interested in looking through. As I pick out each picture, I have a silent monologue of the caption that would post right underneath the picture in the voice of each child because I've been told it's the captions that really express the moment.

It also gives me a few minutes to reflect on how much I love my family and am so proud of them. It makes me appreciate my friends and feel blessed at everything we have. It forces me to actually enjoy the moments that seem to pass all too quickly and to give each memory a moment of respect to acknowledge how it has helped to shape who I am today.

Plus, I get to re-smile at pictures like this:

This is me ... as soon through Claire's eyes and drawn by Claire's hand
01/17/2011

Don't forget you can check out pictures from January in our album online!